Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-11-07
Dreamer. of Dreams.

There are many apparently bright, sharp
and active men in this world who notwith-
standing their good qualities, never sue
coed In what they attempt. They are GER
tainly not drones for they are constantly
at work at one thing or another. Neither
are they at all lazy for they display an
earnestness and diligence which are the
negative characteristics Of laziness. But
they want 'stick-to-itivenessT and con-
centration a. is evidenced by an unsettled
course Of life which ends in anything but
success. The secret Of these partial life
failures, in many cases, il dreaming dream
ing out the most impossible things to be
attained, that fertile imagination is
capable; dreaming new dreams as the con-
dition Of life varies, each lessening in it,
improbalities as the dreamer advances in
age.
II ia all very well for young men and
character, of wealth, Of education, of in
fiuence and Of fame, TO be acquired In
fact were it not for the ideals which are
entertained at an early age there would be
more life failures than there are. But the
trouble l.. these ideals are placed so high
that they are among impOssibilities. In
experienced age accounts for this. When
the dreamer realizes that his object i 80
far distant from his powers and is 20 vague
that the conditions of it, accomplishment
are still more underlined, then he in his
endeavors to place his dream plan within
the possible, modifies il and again conf
mencc- to attempt it, contamination. A.
life l. unfolded TO him, he recognizes his
mistaken conception of the attainable and
modifies his dream plan; and 30 on.
There are three causes which tend 10
produce such dreamers Of dreams. Inner
iting the Imagination of parents in whom
this mental quality has been unframed, the
school, in fairy tales and all that pertains
to the improbable. Facts which are a.
easily understood by the infant mind and
which would lessen its bewildermcnt at
DfHDHllHk All INV new anu -AfdHBt -lEHi-
presented, would, il a. ingeniously and
carefully treated, prove sources of greater
and more rapid development than phan-
toms. The amount Of damage done child
by the substitution of fancy for fact, can
not be estimated, not even at old age.
Again the impetus given the infant mind
in the wrong direction at home is assisted
by the selections of the school text books.
especially the first numbers of reading
books. The infant mind is asked to com
prehend even in learning the alphabet so
much that ii not understanding consigns a
great deal to the realms of fancy. This has
been the case until within few years but
the adoption of obect-methods Is obviating
many difficulties. After the young mind
cause is presented in the literature with
which il is the misfortune of too many
boys and girls to fool away many precious
hours. The real is again banished in
favor of the ideal and then, when it be-
comes necessary to determine the course
of life, the mind trained to fancy rather
than fact, dreams the dreams of impossi-
bility. until realizing the pressure of the
actual conditions of life, it finally, when
it has pursued many phantoms and has
shifted from one employment to another
used rs means of acquisition simply, comes
down to hard pan, disappointed, disheart-
ened and almost destroyed. All the
happiness that has been enjoyed has been
of that kind which leaves sting.
The many changing conditions of each
generation render it more necessary that
there should be less of fancy and more of
fact. Fairies, lords, and vikings are all
of the past and the sooner the youths are
trained 50 that they will cease to under
take a resurrection of the past, the better.
There are evidences of tendency in the
right direction and every encouragement
possible should be given it. The sooner
dreamcrs of dreams are u scarce article on
the market of humanity the better will it
hc for the dreamers themselves and all the
rest of mankind